Genes involved in pre-mRNA 3'-end formation and transcription termination revealed by a lin-15 operon Muv suppressor screen.
RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription termination involves two linked processes: mRNA 3'-end formation and release of Pol II from DNA. Signals for 3' processing are recognized by a protein complex that includes cleavage polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) and cleavage stimulation factor (CstF). Here we identify suppressors encoding proteins that play roles in processes at the 3' ends of genes by exploiting a mutation in which the 3' end of another gene is transposed into the first gene of the Caenorhabditis elegans lin-15 operon. As expected, genes encoding CPSF and CstF were identified in the screen. We also report three suppressors encoding proteins containing a domain that interacts with the C-terminal domain of Pol II (CID). We show that two of the CID proteins are needed for efficient 3' cleavage and thus may connect transcription termination with RNA cleavage. Furthermore, our results implicate a serine/arginine-rich (SR) protein, SRp20, in events following 3'-end cleavage, leading to termination of transcription.
Cui
Mingxue
M
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309.
Allen
Mary Ann
MA
Larsen
Alison
A
Macmorris
Margaret
M
Han
Min
M
Blumenthal
Tom
T
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D039223:Cleavage And Polyadenylation Specificity Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D039241:Cleavage Stimulation Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009876:Operon; D026721:RNA 3' End Processing; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013728:Terminator Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D039223:Cleavage And Polyadenylation Specificity Factor; D039241:Cleavage Stimulation Factor; D012322:RNA Precursors; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C088818:lin-15A protein, C elegans; C088819:lin-15B protein, C elegans; D012319:RNA Polymerase II